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TEN CENT POCKET SERIES NO. 428 
Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius 


The Essence of 
the Koran 

Theodore M. R. von Keler 


BP 130 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



HALDEMAN-JULIUS COMPANY 
GIRARD, KANSAS 














































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TEN CENT POCKET SERIES NO. 428 

Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius 


The Essence of 
the Koran 

Theodore M, R. von Keler 



HALDEMAN-JULIUS COMPANY 
GIRARD, KANSAS 


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Haldeman-Julius Company. 



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THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 



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THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 


INTRODUCTION 

In order to understand fully the Koran (al 
Qur'an, as it is called in Arabic), one should 
devote considerable time and effort to a study 
of the state in which Arabia existed at the time 
when Mohammed lived. It is obviously out of 
the question to furnish in a short introduction 
a comprehensive survey of political, economical 
and religious conditions; it is equally impos¬ 
sible to go into any great detail as to Mo¬ 
hammed’s origin, his life as a camel driver and 
his later life in affluence and power. We can 
only sketch the most important incidents of 
his career, and let the quoted portions of the 
Koran itself speak for his ideals, his opinions 
and his endeavors, as a God-sent prophet to 
warn his people of the dangers of unbelief, 
idolatry and sin. 

At the time of Mohammed’s birth, the Arabs 
and their neighbors were really nothing but 
bloodthirsty savages—yet this savagery was 
strangely mixed with chivalry, courage and a 
loyalty unto death to friends, tribe and family. 
The Arab was generous and hospitable to an 
extent rarely seen among other peoples of the 
earth. On the other hand, gambling, im¬ 
morality and drunkenness were rampant 
amongst them; their treatment of their women 
was only a shade better than that they gave 


6 THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

to their cattle; in fact a full-blooded horse 
was given more and better care than a wife. 
Marriage and divorce were simplicity itself: 
depending entirely on the desire or lack of 
desire on the part of the “husband.” 

Their religion was Sabaeanism—which com¬ 
prised a worshipping of a plurality of gods, 
idols, spirits, jinns, to the total number of 
365. It may be truthfully said that the ancient 
Arabs had a new god, or idol, for every day of 
the year! 

One of the greatest idols venerated by them 
was, and still is, the famous black stone, now 
inserted in one of the walls of the Kaabah at 
Mecca, and an object of the deepest adoration to 
all “True Believers.” This black stone is gen¬ 
erally described as having originally been 
white, and as having been one of the stones 
brought out of Paradise. Its black color is 
explained by claiming that because of the 
thousands of millions of kisses implanted upon 
it by sinful and repentant lips, its color grad¬ 
ually became darker and darker as it absorbed 
the “sins forgiven by repentance.” 

The Kaabah, which contains the holy black 
stone, dates back to a very remote antiquity; 
in fact there is no record of the placing of this 
stone in any of the early histories. Legend 
claims that it was built by Adam; that after 
its destruction at one time it was rebuilt by 
Abraham. But these legends are so closely in¬ 
terwoven with the personages of the Jewish 
Bible, that one cannot go far astray by sup¬ 
posing them to have been brought to Arabia 
by some of the oldest of the Israelites, wan- 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 7 

' dering into the deserts of Arabia. The frequent 
reference in the Koran to Moses and Noah; 
the stories of Lot, Joseph, Samuel and Solomon, 
plainly show the influence which early Hebrew 
traditions had on the Arabs and on Mohammed 
himself, in later years. « 

Mohammed was born in the “Year of the 
Elephant”;* the month and day have never 
been ascertained with, any exactness. Among 
the Mohammedans, however, his birth is usually 
celebrated (or recorded as having occurred) 
on April 20, 571. The interval between the 
death of Christ on the cross of Calvary, and 
the birth of the next “prophet’*' was 541 years. 
His father was Abd-allah, who died, however, 
before the child (the future Mohammed) was 
born. Abd-allah, although related to the most 
powerful families of Mecca, left to his family 
nothing except five camels and a young slave 
girl. Aminah, Mohammed’s mother, died in 
577, when Mohammed was six years old. 

The orphan child seems to have been lucky 
in finding a home with kind relatives, where, 
he grew to strength and manhood. However, 
in order to support himself, after the death of 
his grandfather, he had to herd sheep and goats 
—a calling which was considered as suited only 
to a woman. His youth passed in complete 
obscurity; there is absolutely nothing definitely 
known of him up to the time he was 24 years 
old. At that time there came the turn in his 
life. A rich widow, about 40 years old, saw 

♦So called because the Abyssinian army attacked 
Mecca in that year, using elephants m the battle, 
and was repulsed (571). 



8 , THE ESSENCE OF'THE KORAN 

the young Mohammed and took a fancy to him; 
she engaged him as camel driver for the car¬ 
avans which she sent to other lands. A year 
later she married him. 

Mohammed was known to the people with 
whom he came into contact at the time of his 
travels and business dealings, as El Amin — 
“the trustworthy.” There is, of course, no 
picture or painting existing at this time of 
him as he looked in those days, but he Is 
described as of only middle height, but of com¬ 
manding mien and presence; slender, but with 
a strong chest and broad shoulders; a strong, 
high forehead and a very clear complexion, 
with very dark eager eyes, a curved nose and 
a full and heavy dark beard. It is related that 
he was exceedingly nervous and of extra¬ 
ordinary sensitiveness, both in regard to 
physical and mental pain. He suffered intense 
agonies when forced to breathe unpleasant 
odors. 

After Mohammed had passed his thirtieth 
year, he became subject to ever-recurring fits of 
hallucinations; he was certainly epileptic in a 
pronounced degree. Harried constantly by 
“voices” and “revelations” v/hich called to 
him to improve the manners and morals of 
the people around him, he withdrew for days 
and weeks at a time into solitary places, in 
the desert and the mountains. During one of 
those sojourns on Mount Hira, near Mecca, an 
angel—Gabriel—appeared to him and ordered 
him to Read! Mohammed was unable to read 
or write and therefore could not obey the order, 
but the angel shook him and ordered him again 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 9 

to read, whereupon Mohammed fell upon the 
ground in fear and trembling. The angel him¬ 
self then read aloud the five verses with which 
the 96th chapter of the Koran begins, and 
which are venerated throughout the Moslem 
world as the first words revealed to Mohammed 
by God: 

Read, in the name of thy Lord! 

Who created man from congealed "blood! 

Read, for thy Lord is most generous! 

Who taught the pen! 

Taught man what he did not know! 

After this vision Mohammed became sub¬ 
jected more and more to these fits of hallucin¬ 
ation, and although he was at first afraid that 
they were proof of his being “possessed by a 
spirit,” he soon told of his “dreams” to the 
people with whom he came into contact and 
was considered by them as “possessed.” His 
fits and hallucinations came at ever shorter in¬ 
tervals, until there was a time when he may 
have been said tp pass weeks in hysterical 
fits, accompanied by high hectic fever. He saw 
angels at all times, and described them to his 
faithful wife, ’Hadichah, who remained always 
at his side during these fits and was his first 
convert to the new religion which he claimed to 
have been chosen by God to preach to humanity. 
Next were his daughters and some of his other 
relatives; a few friends followed, among them 
a greatly respected and revered rich merchant, 
named Abu-Bekr. A young Arab, Osman ibn 
Affar, became converted to the new religion of 
Islam —as it was later to be called—and the 
little band grew larger and larger. Soon some 


10 THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

of its adherents were persecuted by other 
Meccans for their belief in the new teachings, 
and this “martyrdom” acted as oil upon fire— 
as it has acted in similar movements since the 
world began. His most important convert was 
Omar-ihn-el-Hatta}), a warrior-chieftain who had 
been one of his bitterest enemies, but later 
became the strongest factor in spreading the 
new religion, (The Christian Church has an 
exact counterpart of this Omar, in Saul—Paul, 
who also changed from a persecutor to a 
defender.) 

Mohammed’s teachings will be found in the 
various chapters following. Here it may be 
said that the chief reason why they first 
found so great an opposition and later so 
strenuous a defense, was the doctrine of 
UNITY in God, which doctrine overthrew all 
of the 365 gods, idols and minor deities, then 
controlling the Arabs’ life from cradle to grave. 
He would undoubtedly have been killed early 
in his life of preaching, as Christ was killed— 
and for exactly the same reason, namely, the 
attack on long-standing customs which inter¬ 
fered with the prerogatives and income of the 
priests!—had he been an insignificant or poor 
man. But, while Christ came from a poor car¬ 
penter’s family of no influence whatever, 
Mohammed was related to one of the most 
powerful and noble famillies of Mecca! To kill 
him would have started a blood-feud with some 
of the fiercest warriors of the Arab tribes, and 
the priests and chiefs of Mecca dared not under¬ 
take such an attack. When they endeavored 
to have him silenced by the head of his own 


THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 11 

clean, Ahu Talih, the latter resented the sug* 
bestion. 

The people of Mecca, fearing that their traffic 
and the enormous gains from the big pilgrim¬ 
ages to the Kaabah, might be stopped by a 
spreading of the new doctrine, finally proposed 
to Mohammed an arrangement, under which 
they would agree to worship Allah, as Mo¬ 
hammed directed, provided he would acknowl¬ 
edge some of the deities which they worshipped, 
as “intercessors” before Allah. Mohammed did 
this, and there was great rejoicing—but on the 
next day he recanted and the feud broke out 
again. This time he was compelled to leave 
the city, together with the whole of the clan, 
under a public “ban” or boycott. This boy¬ 
cott lasted two years, and was lifted when 
the document ordering it was found to have 
been completedly eaten by worms, where it had 
been fastened to the walls of the Kaabah., 

After strenuous years of preaching, Mo¬ 
hammed lost his wife, ^Hadichah, and married a 
widow Saiida; later a young girl named 
Ayeshah —who is undoubtedly the most im¬ 
portant female figure in Mohammedan history. 
She exerted a tremendous influence upon all 
Islam. For ten years Mohammed traveled from 
place to place, preaching his religion, but find¬ 
ing few disciples. One day, however, he came 
upon two Arab tribes who were fighting against 
Mecca, and who had just taken a fairly good- 
sized city from the Jews. They welcomed the 
exile from Mecca with open arms, and the 
beaten Jews hailed him ,as the promised Mes¬ 
siah, for whom they had been waiting anxiously. 


12 


THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

The Meccans were furious at Mohammed’s 
sudden ascent to power and, on his return to 
Mecca, planned to murder him. He was warned, 
however, and managed to escape safely. Legend 
tells of a cave in which he slept, and which 
his pursuers were just about to search when 
one of them noted a spider net woven across 
the whole entrance, from which he argued that 
Mohammed could not be in there, and that It 
would only delay them if they searched where he 
evidently could never have entered. He reached 
Yathril), his destination, in safety on June 16, 
622. From this celebrated flight, or hegira, 
dates the Mohammedan calendar, or era. 
Yathrib henceforth was called El Medinah (the 
City of the Prophet). 

Mohammed’s new religion was carefully pre¬ 
pared and organized in this city of Medinah, 
where the Jewish population had a great in¬ 
fluence on the preparation and wording of the 
Koran, where we find a gi'eat many of the 
Jewish stories and traditions incorporated as 
a whole. Medinah became a stronghold from 
which Mohammed and his adherents attacked 
the “infidels” at Mecca and other neighboring 
cities with such military success that his name 
spread throughout the land. One of the 
bloodiest events of that time took place when 
Mohammed’s forces captured an entire tribe 
after a fierce battle, and 800 male captives— 
every single man of them—were ordered be¬ 
headed; their wives and children sold into 
slavery, in exchange for arms and horses. 

After some desultory fighting with the Mec¬ 
cans, a truce of ten years between the contend* 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN /3 

ing forces was established and Mohammed was 
officially recognized by his enemies as a reign¬ 
ing prince. Mohammed seems thereupon to 
have suffered from an attack of the wildest 
conceit. He dispatched letters to all the great 
princes, emperors and kings of Western Asia, 
ordering them to embrace Islam (as his religion 
was now called by the people) or take the 
consequences! While Mohammed himself never 
succeeded in carrying his religion beyond the 
present borders of Arabia, his successors com¬ 
pelled all the princes and emperors to whom he 
had written, to acknowledge the supremacy of 
Islam, by force of arms! 

In the month of March, 632, Mohammed com¬ 
pleted his last pilgrimage to Mecca, and 
preached to some 40,000 people assembled 
around the base of Arafat. He died three 
months later, just after coming out of the 
Mosque at Medina, aged 61 years and two 
months. 


THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ISLAM 

Islam —signifying resignation (to the will of 
God)—is one of the simplest religions in the 
world. It can be encompassed in a few para¬ 
graphs: 

1. There is but one GOD—and Mohammed 
is his ambassador, or prophet. 

2. Paradise is reserved to those who be¬ 
lieve the above statement. 

3. Hell is^or all those who refuse to believe 
it. 



14 THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

{Islam differs from the Christian and Jew 
ish. religions mainly in the claim that Mo¬ 
hammed is God’s ambassador, although it 
admits that both Moses and Jesus were earlier 
prophets sent to warn their peoples.) 


THE DUTIES OF A TRUE MOSLEM 

1. The acknowledgment that there is but one 
Qod, Allah ta'halla (God the Most High), and 
Mohammed, His Prophet. 

2. The Prayer (repeated five times daily, 
with face towards Mecca); in Moslem cities 
the muezzin calls to prayer from the minarets 
of the mosques as follows: 

God is great (repeated four times) 

I hear witness that there is no god hut God 
(twice) 

I hear witness that Mohammed is His prophet 
(twice) 

Come hither to prayers (twice) v 

Come hither to salvation (twice) 

God is great 

There is no other god hut God! 

3. To fast every day in the month Ramadan 
from dawn to sunset. 

4. To give 1-40 of all possessions yearly to 
the poor. 

6. To make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca. 


THE SEVEN HEAVENS OF ISLAM 

\ 1. The Garden of Eternity. 

2. The Abode of Peace. 




THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 15 

3. The Abode of Rest. 

4. The 'Garden of Eden. 

6. The Garden of Resort. 

6. The Garden of Pleasure. 

7. The Garden of Paradise. 

Much has been written in modern times re¬ 
garding the supposed sensual character of the 
Moslem heaven, little of which is actually found 
in the Koran or in any other Arab religious 
work. As in the case with many other races 
of men, Heaven and Hell were to the Arabs’ 
imagination simply places in which certain 
earthly conditions existed in a greatly intensi¬ 
fied manner. To a parched, hot, dusty and bar¬ 
ren land, such as Arabia, Paradise could be 
represented most alluringly as a cool, shady 
garden with fountains playing and fruit trees 
yielding their shade and crop to the happy 
dwellers therein, who could rest on soft couches, 
have pleasant companionship and no work to do. 

And, on the other hand. Hell presented itself 
to their imagination as- Fire —pure and simple 
—although the Moslem Hell is divided into 
seven parts, corresponding to the seven parts 
of Heaven: 

1. Gehenna. 

2. The Flaming Fire. 

3. The Raging Fire that Splits Everything. 

4. The Blaze. 

6. The Scorching Fire. 

6. The Fierce Fire. 

7. The Abyss. 

Islam does not furnish any authoritative 


16 THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

teaching as to the condition of the soul during 
the time between death and thO Resurrection. 
The general belief of Moslems is that souls 
are kept somewhere—the good in peaceful re¬ 
pose, the bad and wicked in foul dungeons. 


THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE KORAN 

In its complete published form the Koran 
contains 114 chapters, or surahs, arranged in 
a seemingly haphazard manner. The subjects 
discussed in each chapter follow each other in 
no set form, nor in chronological order. The 
First Chapter— Surah I —reads as follows: 

In the name of the merciful and compassion¬ 
ate God. 

Praise belongs to God, the Lord of the worlds, 
the merciful, the compassionate, the ruler of the 
day of judgment! Thee we serve and Thee we 
ask for aid. Guide us in the right path, the 
path of those to whom Thou art gracious, not 
of those with whom Thou art wroth; nor of 
those who err. 


The next chapter— The Surah of the Heifer — 
is the longest in the Koran, comprising more 
than 13,000 words. It is followed by the Chap’ 
ter (Surah) of Imram's Family, containing 
more than 7,000 words. The chapters thereafter 
grow smaller and smaller towards the end, 
until the last few chapters average between 
fifty and one hundred words each. The shortest 
chapter in the Koran is the 112th— The Surah 
of Unity —which reads as follows: 




THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 


17 


In the name of the merciful and compas- 
eionate God. 

Say, “He is God alone! God the Eternal! 
He begets not and is not begotten! Nor is 
there anyone like unto Him!” 


The entire Koran contains close upon 150,000 
words. 


ON THE CREATION OF MANKIND 

(The “speaker” in each verse of the Koran 
is always represented to have been the angel 
Gabriel, referring to God as “We” and ad¬ 
dressing Mohammed directly). 

We created mankind, then we fashioned you, 
then we said to the angels, “Adore Adam,” 
and they adored, save Iblis*; who was not of 
those who did adore. We said, “What hinders 
thee from adoring, when we ordered thee?” 
He said, “I am better than he; Thou hast 
created me from fire, and him from clay.” 

* ♦ ♦ 

We said to Iblis: “Then go down therefrom; 
what aileth thee that thou shouldst be so big 
with pride? Go hence! Verily, thou art but 
a small one!” And he answered, “Respite me, 
until the day when they shall all be raised.” 
We said: “Thou are respited!” And he said: 
“For that Thou hast led me into error, I will 
lie in wait for them in Thy straight path; then 
I will surely come to them, from behind them 
and from before them, and most of them shall 


*Iblis = Satan. 





IS THl^J Ul^' THK KOKAiST 

not be thankful unto Thee!” And We said: 
“Go forth despised and expelled; whosoever \ 
follows thee, I will surely fill hell with you al-. \ 
together. But, Adam, dwell thou and thy wdfe 
in Paradise and eat from whatever you will, 
but draw not nigh unto this tree, or ye will 
be of the unjust.” 

♦ ♦ * j] 

But Satan whispered to them to display to ' 
them what was kept back from them of their '! 
shame, and he said: “Your Lord has only for- , 
bidden you this tree lest you should be twain 5 
angels, or should become of the immortals”; 
and he swore to them both: “Verily, I am 
unto you a sincere adviser”; and he beguiled 4 
them by deceit, and when they twain tasted ^ 
of the tree, their shame was shown to them, 
and tney began to stitch upon themselves the 
leaves of the garden. And their Lord called , j 
unto them, “Did I not forbid you from that J 
tree there, and say to you, ‘Verily Satan is to | 
you an open foe’?” They answered, “O, our j 
Lord! we have wronged ourselves—and if i 
Thou dost not forgive us and have mercy on \ 
us, we shall surely be of those who are lost!” 

We said, “Go ye down, one of you to the 
other a foe; but for you in the earth there is 
an abode, and a provision for a season. There- j 

in shall ye live and therein shall ye die, from ] 
it shall ye be brought forth.” 1 

- ^4 

MOHAMMED’S MISSION f 

By the wise Koran, verily thou art of the 
apostles upon a right way. The revelation of J 
the mighty, the merciful! That thou mayest a 




19 


THE ESOTTNCE OF THE KORAN 

warn a people whose fathers have not been 
warned before, and who themselves are heed¬ 
less. 

Now is the sentence due against most of 
them, for they will not believe. Verily, we 
will place upon their necks fetters, and they 
shall reach up to their chins, and they shall 
have their heads forced back; and we will 
place before them a barrier, and behind them 
a barrier; and we will cover them and they 
shall not see; and it is all the same to them 
if thou dost warn them or dost warn them 
not, they will not believe. Thou canst only 
warn him who follows the remainder, and fears 
the Merciful in the unseen; but give him glad 
tidings of forgiveness and a noble hire. 

We have sent thee with the truth, a bearer 
of good tidings and of warning, and thou shalt 
not be questioned as to the fellows of hell. 

The Jews will not be satisfied with thee, 
nor will the Christians, unless thou followest 
their creed. Say to them: “God’s guidance 
is my guidance,” and if thou followest their 
lusts after the knowledge that has come to 
thee, thou hast not then from God a patron 
or help. 

Verily thou art of those who are sent by 
God. These apostles have we preferred one 
of them above another. Of them is one to 
whom God has spoken (*); and we have raised 
some of them degrees; and we have given 

♦Moses, called in Arabic Kalimu ’llah —He with 
whom God spake. 

Jesus, the son of Mary, manifest signs, and 



20 THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

strengthened him by the Holy Spirit. 

Mohammed is but an apostle; apostles have 
died before his time; what if he die or is 
killed, will ye retreat upon your heels? He 
who retreats upon his heels does no harm to 
God at all; but God will recompense the 
thankful. 

♦ ♦ ♦ 

Let not those who misbelieve reckon that 
our letting them range is good for themselves. 
We only let them have their range that they 
may increase in sin. And for them is shame¬ 
ful woe. God would not leave believers in the 
state which ye are in, until He discerns the 
vile from the good. And God would not in¬ 
form you of the unseen, but God chooses of 
His apostles whom He pleases. Wherefore 
believe ye in God and His Apostle; and if ye 
believe and fear, for you is mighty hire. 

* * * 

Let it not deceive thee that those who mis¬ 
believe go to and fro in*the earth. It is a 
slight possession, and then their resort is Hell; 
an evil couch it shall be. 

♦ ♦ ♦ 

Oh, ye people of the Book! oiir apostle has 
come to you, explaining to you the interval in 
the coming of apostles; lest ye say, “There 
came not to us a herald of glad tidings, nor a 
Warner." But there has come to you now a 
herald of glad tidings and a Warner, and God 
is mighty over all. 

♦ ♦ ♦ 

And We gave Moses the book, complete for 
him who acts aright, and a decision and a 


iTiE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 21 

guidance and a mercy; haply in the meeting 
of their Lord they will believe. 

This is the book which we have sent down; 
it is a blessing;; follow it then and fear; 
haply ye may obtain mercy. Lest ye say, “The 
Book was only sent down to two sects before 
us; verily we care naught for what they read.” 
Or, lest ye should say, “Had we had a book 
revealed to us, we should surely have been 
more guided than they”; but there is come to 
them a manifest sign from their Lord and a 
guidance and a mercy; who then is more un- 
just than he who calls God’s signs lies, and 
turns from them? We will reward those who 
turn from our signs with an evil punishment 
for that they turned away. 

What do they expect, but that the angels 
should come for them, or that thy Lord should 
come, or that some signs (*) of thy Lord 
should come? On the day when some signs 
do come, its faith shall profit no soul which 
did not believe before, unless it has earned 
some good by its faith. Say, “Wait ye ex- 
pectant, then we wait expectant, too.” 

* ♦ * 

Oh thou prophet! Strive strenuously against 
the misbelievers and the hypocrites, and be 
stern against them; for their resort is hell, 
and an ill journey shall it be. 

Ask forgiveness for them or ask not for¬ 
giveness for them seventy times, yet would not 
God forgive them; that is because they dis¬ 
believed in God and His Apostle, for God 
guides not a people who work abomination. 

* Signs of the coming Judgment Day. 




22 THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

It is not for the Prophet and those who be¬ 
lieve to ask forgiveness for the idolaters, even 
though they he their kindred, after it has been 
made manifest to them that they are the fel¬ 
lows of hell. 

There has come to you an apostle from 
amongst yourselves; hard for him to bear as 
it is that ye commit iniquity; he is anxious 
over you after the believers, pitiful, com¬ 
passionate. 


THE PROMISE OF PARADISE 

Verily when it is said to them, “There is 
no god but God,” they get too big with pride, 
and say, “What! shall we leave our gods for 
an infatuated poet?” Nay, he came with the 
truth, and verified the apostles; verily ye are 
going to taste of grievous woe, nor shall ye be 
rewarded save for that which ye have done! 

Except God’s sincere servants, these shall 
have a stated provision of fruits, and they 
shall be honored in the gardens of pleasure, 
upon couches facing each other; they shall 
be served all around with'a cup from a spring, 
white and delicious to those who drink, where¬ 
in is no insidious spirit, nor shall they be 
drunk therewith; and with them damsels, re¬ 
straining their looks, large eyed; as though 
they were a sheltered egg; and some shall 
come forward to ask others, and a speaker 
amongst them shall say: “Verily, I had a mate, 
who used to say, ‘Art thou verily of those 
who credit?’ >/hat! when we are dead and 
liave 6ecome earth and bones, shall we be 



THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 23 

surely judged?’ ” He will say, “Are ye looking 
down?” and he shall look down and see him 
in the midst of hell. He shall say, “By God! 
thou didst nearly ruin me! And had it not 
been for the favor of my Lord, I should have 
been among those arraigned.”—“What! shall 
we not die save our first death? and shall we 
not be tormented? Verily this is mighty bliss! 
for the like of this then let the workers work!’* 
* * * 

Verily, those who disbelieve in our signs, we 
will broil them with fire; whenever their skins 
are well done, then we will change them for 
other skins, that they, too, may taste the tor¬ 
ment. But those who believe and do right, we 
will make .them enter gardens beneath which 
rivers flow, and they shall dwell therein for¬ 
ever and aye, for them therein are pure wives 
'and we will make them enter into a shady 
shade. 

" * 4 = * 

O my servants! There is no fear for you 
on that (judgment) day; nor shall ye be 
grieved who believe in our signs and who are 
resigned. Enter ye into Paradise, ye and your 
wives, happy! 

"Dishes and pitchers of gold shall be sent 
round to them; therein is what souls desire, 
and eyes shall be delighted, and ye therein 
shall dwell for aye; for that is Paradise which 
ye are given as an inheritance for that which 
ye have done. Thereim shall ye have much 

fruit whereof to eat. 

* * * 

The similitude of Paradise is promised to the 


24 THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

pious,—in it are rivers of water without cor¬ 
ruption, and rivers of milk, the taste whereof 
changes not, and rivers of wine delicious to 
those who drink; and rivers of honey clarified; 
and there shall they have all kinds of fruit 
and forgiveness from their Lord! 

♦ * ♦ 

These are they who are brought nigh in 
gardens of pleasure! And gold-weft couches, 
reclining on them face to face. Around them 
shall go eternal youths with goblets and ewers 
and a cup of flowing wine; no headache shall 
they feeel therefrom, nor shall their wits be 
dimmed! 

And fruits such as they deem the best; and 
flesh of fowl as they desire; and bright and 
large-eyed maids like hidden pearls; a reward 
for that which they have done! They shall 
hear no folly there and no sin; only the speech, 
“Peace! Peace!” 

And the fellows of the right—what right 
lucky fellows! Amid thornless lote trees, and 
tal’h trees piled with fruit, and outspread 
shade, and water outpoured; and fruit in 
abundance, neither failing nor forbidden; and 
beds upraised! Verily we have produced them 
(*) a production; and made them virgins, 
darlings of equal age (with their spouses) for 
the fellows of the right! 

♦The heavenly maidens. 

* » * 

And God will guard the righteous from the 
evil of that day (the judgment day), and will 
cast on them brightness and jby; and their 


THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 


25 


reward for their patience shall be paradise and 
silk! reclining therein upon couches they shall 
see therein neither sun nor piercing cold (the 
cold moon); and close down upon them shall 
be its shadows; and lowered over them its 
fruits to cull; and they shall be served round 
with vessels of silver and goblets that are as 
flagons—flagons of silver which they shall 
mete out! and they shall drink therein a cup 
tempered with Zinjahil, a spring therein named 
SilsaMl! and there shall go round to them 
eternal boys; when thou seest them thou wilt 
think them scattered pearls; and when thou 
seest them thou shall see pleasure and a great 
estate. On them shall be garments of green 
embroidered satin and brocade; and they shall 
be adorned with bracelets of silver; and their 
Lord shall give them to drink pure drink! 
Verily this is a reward for you and your ef¬ 
forts are thanked. 


THE NINETY-NINE NAMES OF GOD 


GOD is invoked in the Koran under ninety- 
nine “gQod” names, which are: 


The Merciful 
The Holy 
The Protector 
The Great 
The Fashioner 
The Provider 
The Knowing 
The Guardian 
The Destroyer 
The Judge 
The Aware 
The Forgiving 
The Great 


The Reckoner 

The Watcher 

The Wise 

The Raiser 

The Compassionate 

Peace 

The Mighty 
The Creator 
The Forgiver 
The Bestower 
The Restrainer 
The Exalter 
The Hearer 



26 THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 


Justice 

The 

Enricher 

The 

Clement 

The 

Distresser 

The 

Grateful 

The 

Guide 

The 

Guardian 

The 

Inheritor 

The 

Majestic 

The 

Strong 

The 

Answerer of Prayer The 

Laudable 

The 

Loving 

The 

Restorer 

The 

Witness 

The 

Living 

The 

Ruler 

The 

Glorious 

The 

Faithful 

The 

Powerful 

The 

Repairer 

The 

Bringer-Porward 

The 

Creating Force 

The 

Apparent 

The 

Dominant 

The 

Exalted 

The 

Opener 

The 

Avenger 

The 

Spreader 

The 

Ruler of the World 

The 

Honorer 

The 

Collector 

The 

Seer 

The 

Giver 

The 

Subtle 

The 

Profiter 

The 

Grand 

The 

Incomparable 

The 

Exalted 

The 

Rightly-Directing 

The 

Strengthener 

The 

Firm 

The 

Generous 

The 

Counter 

The 

Comprehensive 

The 

Quickener 

The 

Glorious 

The 

Subsisting 

Truth 

The 

One 

The 

Guarding Spirit 

The 

Prevailing 

The 

Patron 

The 

First 

The 

Beginner 

The 

Innermost 

The 

Killer 

Righteousness 

The 

Existing 

The 

Pardoner 

The 

Eternal 

Lord of Majesty 

The 

Deferrer 

The Independent 

The 

Last 

The 

Withholder 

The 

Governor 

Light 

The 

Relenting 

The Enduring 

The 

Kind 

The 

Patient 

The 

Equitable 




THE TERRORS OF HELL 

Verily, hell is an ambuscade; a reward for 
the outrageous, to tarry therein for ages. They 
shall not taste therein cool nor drink, but only 
boiling water and filth—^ fit reward 




THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 27 

When they shall be cast therein they shall 

hear its roaring as it boils; whenever a troop 

of them is thrown in, its guardians shall ask 
them: “Did not a warner come to you? They 
shall say: “Yea, a warner came to us; had we 
but listened or had sense we would not have 
been among the fellows of the blaze!” 

♦ ♦ ♦ 

And those fellows of the left—what unlucky 
fellows! In hot blasts and boiling water; and 
a shade of pitchy smoke, neither cool, nor gen¬ 
erous! They shall eat of the Zaqqum tree 

and fill their bellies with its fruit, and drink 
thereon boiling water, and drink as drinks the 
thirsty camel. 


JESUS IN THE KORAN 

Note: In his capacity as “apostle” to the Arabs, 
Mohammed called attention at various times to the 
other prophets and apostles sent to their respective 
peoples before him. There are many passages in 
the Koran, which refer to Jesus by intimation and 
by name; in most cases he is represented as an 
apostle, or “warner” sent by God to the Jews who, 
however, rejected him and slew him. 

And we followed up the footsteps of these 
prophets (Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham) with 
Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which 
was before him and the law; and we brought 
him the gospel wherein is guidance and light, 
verifying what was before it of the law, and a 
guidance and an admonition unto those who 
fear. Then let the people of the gospel judge 
by that which is revealed therein, for whoso 



28 THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

will not judge by what God has revealed, these 
be the evildoers. 

♦ * * 

And when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, O 
children of Israel! verily I am the apostle of 
God to you, verifying the law that was before 
me and giving you glad tidings of an apostle 
who shall come after me, whose name shall be 
Ahmedl”* 

When the angel said: “O Mary! Verily God 
gives thee the glad tidings of a Word from 
Him; his name shall be the Messiah Jesus, the 
son of Mary, regarded in this world and the 
next, and whose place is nigh unto God. And 
he shall speak to people in his cradle, and 
when grown up, and shall be among the right¬ 
eous.” She said: “Lord, how can I have a 
son, when man has not yet touched me?” He 
said: “Thus God creates what He pleaseth. 
When He decrees a matter, He only says ‘BE’ 
and it is! And He will teach him the Book 
and wisdom and the law and the gospel and 

Note: *(In the Gospel of St. John XVI, 7, we 
read: “It is expedient for you that I go away; for 
if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto 
you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And 
when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, 
and of righteousness and of judgment.” The word 
Comforter is the English translation of the Greek 
word Parakletos used in the Greek version of the 
New Testament; Mohammed and his followers de¬ 
clare that a forgery has been made in the transla¬ 
tion and that the real Greek word which was origi¬ 
nally written in this verse, was Periklutos meaning 
“The Laudable, Praised.” In Arabic these two 
words are translated by A^hmed, and A’hmed is 
equivalent to Mohammed in meaning. Islam, there¬ 
fore, claims that Jesus himself foretold the coming 
of Mohammed, i 



29 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

he shall be a prophet to the people of Israel, 
saying, that I have come to you with a sign 
from God, namely that I will create for you 
out of clay as though it were the form of a 
bird, and I will blow thereon and it shall be a 
bird by God’s permission; and I will heal the 
blind from birth, and lepers, and I will bring 
the dead to life by God’s permission, and I will 
tell you what you eat and what you store in 
your houses.” 

♦ * * 

- When God said, “O Jesus! I will make Thee 
die and take Thee up again to me, and will 
clear Thee of those who misbelieve, and will 
make those who follow Thee, above those who 
misbelieve at the day of judgment; then to 
me is your return.” 

!(e * * 

O ye people of the Book! do not exceed in 
your religion nor say against God aught save 
the truth. The Messiah Jesus, the son of 
Mary, is but the apostle of God and His word, 
which He cast into Mary and a spirit from 
Him; believe then in God and in the apostles, 
and say not “Three!” Have done! it were bet¬ 
ter for you. God is but one God! Celebrated 
be His praise, that He should create a son! 
His is what is in the Heavens and in the earth; 
and God sufficeth for a guardian. 


• THE STORY OF JOSEPH 


Note: Among the Biblical stories related m the 
Koran is the story of Joseph and his bpthren, 
which is given in great detail in the Twelfth Chap- 



30 , THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

ter (Surah XII—Mecca). In reprinting part of 
this particular chapter, it is the intention to induce 
the reader to compare the Mohammedan story with 
that recorded in the Old Testament (Genesis 
XXXVII—L). In a similar manner the Koran has 
taken over the stories of Abraham, of Isaac, of 
Moses and the Golden Calf, of Solomon, and of 
some of the other characters of the Jewish records. 

Those are the signs of the perspicuous Book. 
Verily, we have revealed it, an Arabic Koran; 
haply ye may understand. We tell thee the 
best of stories, in inspiring thee with this 
Koran, though thou wert before this among the 
heedless. 

When Joseph said to his father, “O my sire! 
verily I saw eleven stars and the sun and the 
moon—I saw-them adoring mpl” 

“He said, “O my boy! tell not thy vision to 
thy brethren, for they will plot a plot against 
thee; verily the devil is to man an open foe.’' 

Thus does thy Lord choose thee and teach 
thee the interpretation of sayings, and fulfil 
His favor upon thee, and upon Jacob’s people, 
as He fulfilled it upon thy two forefathers be¬ 
fore thee, Abraham and Isaac,—verily, thy Lord 
is knowing, wise! 

In Joseph and his brethren were signs to 
those who inquire. 

When they said, “Surely, Joseph and his 
brother are dearer to our father than we, a 
band although we be; verily our father is in 
obvious error. Slay Joseph, or cast him in 
some land; that your father’s face may be free 
for you, and ye may be, after he is gone, a peo¬ 
ple who do right.’’ 

A speaker from amongst them spake, “Slay 







THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 31 

not Joseph, but throw him into the bottom of 
I the pit; some of the travelers may pick him 
up, if so ye do.” 

, Said they, “O our father! what ails thee 
that thou wilt not trust us with Joseph while 
w^e are unto him sincere? Send him with us 
tomorrow to revel and play, and, verily, we 
over him will keep good guard.” 

Said he, “Verily it grieves me that ye should 
go off with him, for I fear lest the wolf devour 
him, while ye of him do take no heed.” 

Said they, “Why if the wolf should devour 
him, while we are such a large band, we then 
; should deserve to lose.” 

; And when they had gone off with him, and 
agreed to put him in the depths of the pit, 
and we inspired him,' “Thou shalt surely in¬ 
form them of this affair of theirs and they 
shall not perceive.” 

And they came to their father at eve, weep¬ 
ing, and said, “O our father! Verily we went 
forth to race and left Joseph by our goods, and 
the wolf devoured him—but thou wilt not be¬ 
lieve us, truth tellers though we be.” 

And they brought his shirt with lying blood 
upon it. Said he, “Nay, but your souls have 
induced you to do this; but patience is fairl 
and God is He whom I ask for aid against that 
which ye describe!” 

And travelers came and sent their water 
drawer; and he let down his bucket. Said he, 
“O glad tidings! This is a youth.” And they 
kept his secret as a chattel; but God knew 
what they were doing. 

And they sold him for a mean price,— 



■6Z iW JLJSttliiMCi'J U±< THK KORAN 

drachmae counted out,—an^ they parted with 
him cheaply. And the man p-om Egypt who 
had bought him, said to his wife, “Honor his 
abiding here; it may be he will be of use to 
us, or we may adopt him as a son.” 

Thus did we establish Joseph in the land; 
and we did surely teach him the interpreta¬ 
tion of sayings; for God can overcome His af¬ 
fairs though most men do not know. 

And when he had reached his strength we 
brought him judgment and knowledge, for thus 
do we reward those who do good. 

And she in whose house he was desired him 
for his person; and she locked the doors and 
said, “Come along with thee!” Said he, 
“Refuge in Godj Verily, my Lord has made 
good my abiding here; verily the wrongdoers 
shall not prosper.” 

And she was anxious for him, and he would 
have been anxious for her, had it not been that 
he saw the demonstration of his Lord;* thus 
did we turn evil and fornication from him; 
verily he was of our sincere servants. 

And they raced to the door and she rent his 
shirt from behind; and they met her master 
at the door. Said she, “What is the recompense 
of him who wishes evil for thy family, but 
that imprisonment or a grievous torment?” 

Said he, “she desired me for my person.” And 
a witness from her own family bore witness: 
“If his shirt be rent in front, then she speaks 
the truth and he is of the liars; but if his shirt 


Note: * According to Moslem tradition, the angel 
Gabriel appeared to Joseph in the form of his old 
father and warned him. 



THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 32 

be rent from behind, then she lies and he is of 
the truth tellers.” 

And when he saw his shirt rent from behind, 
he said, “This is one of your tricks, verily your 
tricks are mighty! Joseph, turn aside from 
this. And do thou, woman, ask pardon for thy 
fault; verily, thou wert of the sinners.” 

And women in the city said, “The wife of 
the prince desires her young man for his per¬ 
son; he has infatuated her with love; verily 
we see her in obvious erroi:.” And when she 
heard of their craftiness, she sent to them and 
prepared for them a banquet, and gave each 
of them a knife; and she said, “Come forth to 
them!” And when they saw him, they cried: 
“Great God!” and cut their hands accidentally 
and said, “God forbid! This is no mortal, this 
is nothing but an honorable angel.” Said she, 
“This is he concerning whom ye blamed me. 
I did desire him for his person, but he was too 
continent. But if he do not what I bid him, he 
shall surely be imprisoned and shall surely be 
among the small.” 

Said he, “My Lord! Prison is dearer to me 
than what they call on me to do; and unless 
Thou turn from me their craftiness, I shall feel 
a passion for them and shall be among the 
ignorant!” And his Lord answered him and 
turned from him their craftiness; verily. He 
both hears and knows. 

Then it appeared good to them, even after 
they had seen the signs, to imprison him until 
1 a time. 

And there entered the prison with him two 
young men. Said one of them, “Verily, I see 


34 THE ESSENCE OV THE KORAN 

myself pressing wine!” And the other said, 
“Verily, and I see myself bearing on my head 
loaves from which the birds do eat; inform us 
of the interpretation thereof; verily we see 
that thou art of those who do good.” 

He said, “There shall not come to you any 
food with which ye are provided, but I will 
inform you both of its interpretation before it 
comes to you. That is some of what my Lord 
has taught me; verily I have left the faith of 
a people who do not believe in God, while in 
the future, too, they disbelieve. And I have 
followed the faith of my fathers, Abraham, 
Isaac and Jacob; we could not associate aught 
with God; that is from God’s grace upon us 
and upon me; hut most men give not thanks. 
O ye twain fellow-prisoners! Are manifold 
lords better, or God, the one, dominant? What 
ye worship beside him are naught but names 
which ye have names, ye and your fathers, for 
which God has sent down no authority. Judg¬ 
ment is only God’s; He bids you worship only 
Him. That is the standard of religion—but 
most men do not know. O ye twain fellow- 
prisoners! as for one of you, he shall pour out 
wine for his Lord; and as for the other, he 
shall be crucified, and the birds shall eat of 
his head. The matter is decreed whereon ye 
asked me for a decision.” 

And he said to him who, he thought, would 
escape of those two, “Remember me with thy 
Lord!” But Satan made the prisoner forget 
the remembrance of Joseph, so he tarried in 
prison a few years. 


35 


THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

Then said the king, “Verily I see seven fat 
kine, which seven lean kine devoured; and 
seven green ears of corn and seven dry. O ye 
chiefs! explain to me my vision, if a vision ye 
can expound!” said they, “Confused dreams, 
and naught of the exposition of such dreams 
know we.” 

Then he who had escaped of those twain in 
prison, said—remembering after a while— 
“Verily, I will inform you of the interpretation 
of the dream so send me.” “Joseph, O thou ^ 
truth teller! Explain to us the seven fat kine"' 
which the seven lean kine devoured, and the 
seven green ears of corn and others dry. Haply 
I may go back to the men, haply they then 
may know.” 

He said, “Ye shall sow for seven years as 
is your want; but what ye reap, let it remain 
in the ear, except a little whereof ye may eat. 
Then there shall come after that seven severe 
years which shall devour what ye have put by 
before them them, save a little of what ye 
shall preserve. Then there will come after 
that a year in which men shall have rain and 
in which they shall press.” 

Then said the king, “Bring him to me.” And 
when the messenger came to him, he said, “go 
back to thy Lord, and ask him, “What meant 
the women who cut their hands? Verily my 
lord knows their craftiness!” 

He said, “What was your design when ye de¬ 
sired Joseph for his person?” They said, “God 
forbid! we know no bad of him.” Said the wife 
of the prince, “Now does the truth appear! I 



36 THE ESSENCE OP THE KOtlAN 

desired him for liis person, and, verily, he Is 
of those who tell the truth.” 

“That,” said Joseph, “was that he might 
know that I did not betray him in his absence, 
and that God guides not the craft of those who 
do betray. Yet I do not clear myself, for the 
soul is very urgent to evil, save what my Lord 
has had mercy on; verily, my Lord is forgiving 
and merciful.” And the king said, “Bring him 
to me. I will take him specially for myself.” 
And when he had spoken with him, he said, 
“Verily today thou art with us in a permanent 
place of trust.” 

Joseph said, “Place me over the treasures of 
the land, verily, I will be a knowing keeper.” 

Thus did we establish Joseph in the land that 
he might settle in what part thereof he pleased 
—we overtake with our mercy whom we will, 
nor do we waste the hire of those who do 
good; and surely the hire of the future life is 
better for those who believe and who have 
feared. 

And his brethren came to Joseph, and they 
entered in unto him and he knew them, but 
they recognized him not. And when he had 
equipped them with their equipment he said, 
“Bring ilie a brother that ye have from your 
father; do ye not see that I give good measure, 
and that I am the best of entertainers? But 
if ye bring him not to me, no measure shall ye 
have with me, nor shall ye come nigh me.” 

They said, “We will desire him of our father 
and we will surely do it.” 

Then he said to his young men, “Put their 
chattels in their packs, haply they may know 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 37 

it when they are come back to their family; 
haply they may return.” 

And when they returned to their father, they 
said, “O our father! Measure is withheld from 
us; so send with us our brother so that we 
may get measure, and, verily, him we will 
keep.” 

He said, ‘‘Shall I entrust you with him, save 
as I entrusted you with his brother before? but 
God is the best of keepers, and He is the 
most merciful of the merciful.” 

And when they opened their goods they 
found their chattels restored to them. Said 
they, “O our father! What more can we crave? 
Here are our chattels restored to us, and we 
shall guard our brother and we shall have an 
additional measure beside that—a small meas¬ 
ure ! ” 

He said, “I will by no means send him with 
you, until you give me a compact from God, 
that you will surely bring him to me, unless 
ye be encompassed” (by some unavoidable 
force). 

So when they had given him their compact 
he said, “God over what ye say has charge.” 

And he said “O my sons, enter not by one 
gate, but by several gates; but I cannot avail 
you aught against God. Judgment is only 
God’s; upon Him do I rely, and on Him do the 
reliant rely.” 

And when they had entered as their father 
had bade them, it availed them nothing against 
God, save for a want in Jacob’s soul which it 
fulfilled; for, verily, he was possessed of knowl- 



38 THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

edge, for that we had taught him;—but most 
men do not know. 

And when they entered in unto Joseph, he 
took his brother to stay with him and said, 
“Verily, I am thy brother—then take not ill 
that which they have been doing.” 

And when he had equipped them with their 
equipment he placed the drinking cup in his 
brother’s pack, then a crier cried out, “O ye 
caravan! verily, ye are thieves!” They said, 
approaching them, “What is it that ye miss?” 

Said they, “We miss the goblet of the king, 
and whoso brings it shall have a camel-load, 
and I am guarantee thereof.” They said, “By 
God! Ye know we came not to do evil in the 
land and that we were not thieves.” They 
said, “And what shall be the recompense 
thereof if ye be liars?” They said, “The recom¬ 
pense thereof is he in whose pack it is found 
—he shall be the recompense thereof; thus do 
we recompense the unjust.” And he began 
with their sacks before the sacks of his 
brother; then he drew it forth from his broth¬ 
er s pack. Thus did we devise a stratagem for 
Joseph. He could not take his brother by the 
king’s religion except as God pleased;—we 
raise the degrees of whomsoever v/e please, 
and over every possessor of knowledge is one 
who knows. 

They said, “If he has stolen, a brother of his 
has stolen before him.” 

But Joseph kept it secret in his soul, and dis¬ 
closed it not to them. Said he, “Ye are in a 
bad case, and God knows best about what ye 


39 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

describe.” They said, “Prince! Verily, he has 
a father, a very old man; take then one of us, 
instead of him; verily, we can see that thou 
art of those who do good.” Said he, “I seek 
refuge in God, from taking any save him with 
whom we found oui* property; verily, we should 
then be certainly be unjust.” And when they 
despaired of them, they retired to consult prh 
vately. Said the eldest of them, “Do ye not 
know, that your father has taken a compact 
from God against you? Aforetime ye exceeded 
in the matter of Joseph—I will surely not quit 
the land until my father give me leave, or God 
judge for me, for He is the best of judges. 
Return ye to our father and say, “Father 
verily thy son has committed theft, and we 
bore testimony to naught but what we knew; 
for of the unforeseen we were not keepers. 
Ask then in the city where we were, and of 
the caravan in which we approached it, for, 
verily, we tell the truth. 

Said he, “Nay your souls have induced you 
to do this thing. But patience is fair. It may 
be that God will give them to me altogether;— 
verily, He is knowing, wise!” 

And he turned away from them and said, 
“O my lament for Joseph!” And his eyes grew 
white with grief, for he repressed his woe. They 
said, “By God! Thou wilt not cease to remem¬ 
ber Joseph till thou art at the point of death, 
or art of those who perish.” Said he, “I only 
complain of my emotion and of my grief to 
God, for I know that from God of which ye 
know nothing.” O my sons! go and enquire 
concerning Joseph and his brother, and despair 


40 THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

not Of God’s comfort; fox', verily, none need 
despair of God’s comfort save a misbelieving 
people.” 

And when they entered in unto him they 
said, “0 prince! distress has touched both us 
and our families, and we have brought trifling 
chattels. So give us full measure and bestow 
upon us in charity; verily, God rewards the 
charitable.” 

He said, ‘‘Do ye know what ye did with 
Joseph and his brother, while ye were ig¬ 
norant?” 

They said, ‘‘Art thou indeed Joseph?” He 
said, ‘‘I am Joseph and this is my brother; 
God has been gracious towards us. Verily, 
whoso fears God and is patient,—verily, God 
wasteth not the hire of those who do good.” 

They said, “By God! God has chosen thee 
over us, and we are indeed sinners.” He said, 
“No reproach against you today! God will par¬ 
don ye, for He is the most merciful of the 
merciful. ' Take this my shirt and throw it 
over the face of my father, he will become able 
to see; and bring me your families all to¬ 
gether.” 

And when the caravan departed, their father 
said, “Verily I find the smell of Joseph, unless 
ye think I dote!” They said, “By God! Thou 
art in thy old error.” And when the herald 
of glad tidings came, he threw it on his face, 
and he was restored to sight. 

Said he, “Did I not tell you that I know 
from God, that which ye know not?” They 
said, “O our father! ask pardon for us of our 
sins, verily, we were sinners!” He said, “I 


41 


THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 


will ask pardon for you from my Lord; verily, 
He is the pardoning and the merciful.” 

And when they entered in unto Joseph, he 
took his father to stay with him, and said, “En¬ 
ter ye into Egypt, if it please God, safe.” And 
he raised his father upon the throne, and they 
fell down before him adoring. 

And he said, “O my sire, this is the inter¬ 
pretation of my vision aforetime; my Lord 
has made it come true and he has been good 
to me, in bringing me forth out of prison and 
bringing you from the desert, after Satan had 
made a breach between me^and my brethren; 
verily my Lord is kind to whomsoever He will; 
verily. He is the knowing andnhe wise. 

“O my Lord! Thou hast given me dominion 
and hast taught me the interpretation of signs 
and sayings; O originator of the heavens and 
the earth! Thou art my patron in this world 
and the next. Take me to Thyself resigned 
and let me reach the righteous!” 

That is one of the stories of the unseen that 
we inspire you with, though thou wert not 
with them when they agreed in their affair, 
when they were so crafty. And yet most men, 
though thou shouldst be urgent, will not be¬ 
lieve. ... It was not a tale forged, but a veri¬ 
fication of what was before it, and a detailing 
of everything and a guide and a mercy to a 
people who believe. 


Note: When we compare the Mohammedan ver¬ 
sion of the story of Joseph, Potiphar and Pharaoh 
with the Talmud, or the Christian Old Testament, 
we cannot fail to notice a number of important dif¬ 
ferences. These differences, naturally, are due to 



42 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 


the limited knowledge which Mohammed possessed 
of the Jewish scriptures—being unable to read or 
write. He relied, in his Xllth Surah of the Koran, 
upon memory, and the discrepancies are due to his 
faulty memory. Added to this inaccuracy there 
m.ust be taken into consideration his continuous 
interpolation of the basic Islamic statement: “There 
is but One God—and He knows!’’ And it is by com¬ 
parison of the stories in the Koran, with the same 
stories as reported in the older scriptures, that we 
can best obtain a clear understanding of the con¬ 
struction of the Mohammedan “Book”—the Koran. 
It is a well-established fact that a man’s character 
and whole nature are, reflected in the manner in 
which he tells a story; and as we possess many of 
the stories told in the Koran, in other records, we 
thereby have a key to the character of Mohammed. 
Not only that, but we find in the treatment which 
these Biblical stories receive at the hands of the 
Arabs an unfailing guide to the moral and intellec¬ 
tual plane on which Mohammed’s contemporaries 
lived. For this reason a study and comparison of 
the Koran stories of Biblical persons and incidents 
is of more real benefit to him who has but a little 
time to give to such study, than a deeply theological 
analysis of the supposed “heavenly” origin of the 
Koran. 


ISLAM AND DIVORCE 

Note: The relations between husband and wife 
during the centuries before Mohammed had been of 
the most primitive kind in Arabia. If at any time 
a man became dissatisfied with one or more of his 
“wives” and wished to be rid of them, he could 
divorce them by the simple method of speaking this 
formula: “Thou art to me, henceforth, as my 
mother’s back ” There was practically no feeling 
of future responsibility on the part of the husband 
who had divorced his wife suddenly by the uttering 
of this dreaded formula ; often these rejected wives 
were left to starve and die, as and where they 
pleased. It is therefore not to be wondered at, that 
the Arabian woman of pre^Mohammed time was 
but a slave to her husband, and in continuous dread 



43 


THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

of being “divorced” or turned adrift at a moment’s 
notice, perhaps through no fault of her own, 
Mohammed realized the injustice of this method of 
divorce, and the Koran contains a large number of 
verses'dealing with this divorce problem in great 
detail. To quote all of the matter relating to divorce 
would be impossible in a small booklet of this size; 
it is sufficient to cite a few of the rules and laws 
which Mohhamed laid down for the future treat¬ 
ment of wives t)y their husbands. The crime of 
adultery, if committed by a woman, was punished 
fiendishly by the old pagan Arabs: the victims 
were literally immured—walled up behind bricks 
and masonry, alive, and left to die a horrible slow 
death by starvation and gradual suffocation, -if 3- 
wife did not give birth to a son within a reasonable 
time after “marriage,” she was quite sure to be 
divorced; sons were considered a blessing, but 
daughters a curse; frequently girl babies were 
buried alive immediately after birth! 

When ye divorce women, then divorce them 
at their term—(when they have had three 
periods of menstruation, or, if with child, after 
their delivery)—and calculate the term and 
fear God, your Lord. Do not drive them out 
of their houses, unless they have committed 
manifest adultery. And when they have 
reached their appointed time, then retain them 
with kindness or separate from them with 
kindness; and bring as witnesses men of equity 
from among you; and give upright testimony 

to God.And such of your women as despair 

of menstruation,—if ye doubt it, then their 
term is three months, and such as have not 
menstruated, too. 

Let the divorced women dwell where ye 
dwell, according to your means and do not 
harm them, to reduce them to straits; and they 
be heavy with child, then pay for them until 
they lay down their burdens; and if they 





44 THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

suckle the child for you, then give them their 
hire, and consult among yourselves in reason; 
but if ye be in difficulties and another woman 
shall suckle his child for him, let him who 
has plenty, expend of his plenty; but he, whose 
provision is doled out, let him expend of what 
God has given him. I 

Divorced women must wait for themselves 
three courses; and it is not lawful for them 
to hide what God has created in their wombs. 
Their husbands will do better to take them 
back in that case, if they desire a reconcilia¬ 
tion; for the same is due to them, as from 
them; but the men should have the precedence 
over them. 

Divorce may take place twice; then keep 
them in reason or let them go in kindness. 
It is not lawful for you to take from them 
anything that you have given them, unless 
both fear that they cannot keep within God’s 
bounds. But if he divorce her a third time, 
then she shall not be lawful to him until she 
marry another husband; but if this last hus¬ 
band divorce her, too, it is no crime in them 
both to come together again, if they think they 
can keep within God’s bounds. 

When ye divorce women, do not prevent them 
from marrying their fresh husbands when they 
have agreed with each other reasonably. 

Mothers must suckle their children two whole 
years for one who wishes to complete the time 
for suckling; and on him to whom it is born, 
its sustenance and its clothing are incumbent; 
but only in reason, for no one shall be obligated 
beyond his capacity. A mother shall not be 


THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 45 

forced for her child, nor he to whom it is born, 
for his child. And the same is also incumbent 
on the heir of the father, if the father die. 
But if both parties wish to wean, by their 
mutual consent and agreement, then it shall 
be no crime for them to do so. If ye wish 
to engage a wet-nurse for your children, it is 
no crime in you when you pay what you have 
promised her, in reason. 

Those of you who die and leave wives be¬ 
hind, let these wives wait four months and ten 
days by themselves; and when this prescribed 
time has expired then there is no crime for 
them to do that with themselves what they 
please. Nor is it any crime to you, if you 
make them an offer of marriage, or that ye 
keep it secret in your minds, but do not pro¬ 
pose to them in secret, unless ye do speak 
with honest intentions; and resolve not on 
the marriage tie until the time fixed by the 
Book shall have expired. 

It is no crime for you to divorce your 
women, ere you have yet touched them or set¬ 
tled upon them a settlement. But provide 
maintenance for them; the wealthy accord¬ 
ing ,to his power, and the one in straightened 
circumstances according to his ability, must 
provide for them in reason. 

But if ye divorce your women, ere ye have 
touched them, but have already settled for them 
a marriage settlement, the half of what ye 
have settled ye may remit, or have remitted 
to you; forget not liberality between you. 



46 


THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 


RESURRECTION 

When Abraham said, “Lord, show me how 
Thou wilt raise the dead,” God said: “Take 
four birds, and keep them close to thyself, until 
thou knowest them and they know thee; then 
leave one at one mountain, and another on 
another m-ountain, and so on. Then go way 
off and call them and they will come to thee 
in haste.” 

* ♦ * 

When the trumpet shall be blown with one 
blast, and the earth shall be borne away, and 
the mountains, too, and both be crushed with 
one crushing; on that day shall the inevitable 
happen and the heaven on that day shall be 
cleft asunder, for on the day shall it wane, 
and the angels upon the sides thereof. Above 
them eight shall bear the throne of the Lord. 
* * * 

On the day when ye shall be sent forth, no 
hidden thing of yours shall be concealed. 

♦ * * 

Does man think that we shall not be able 
to collect his bones? Able we are to rearrange 
even his finger tips! 

♦ ♦ * 

Verily the day of decision is an appointed 
time; and the day when the trumpet shall be 
blown, and ye shall come in troops, and the 
heavens shall be opened, and shall be all doors, 
and the mountains shall be moved and shall 
be like a mirage. 


47 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 


* * * 

The day when the Spirit (Jesus) and the 
angels shall stand in ranks, they shall not 
speak save to whom the Merciful permits, and 
who speaks aright. 

* ♦ * 


Verily the earthquake of the hour is a 
mighty thing. On the day ye Shall see it, 
every suckling woman shall be scared away 
from that to which she gave suck; and every 
pregnant woman shall lay down her load, and 
thou Shalt see men drunken, though they be not 
drunken; but the torment of God is severe. 

sjt ♦ * ^ 

The day the heavens shall be cleft asunder 
with the clouds, and the angels shall be sent 
down descending. The true kingdom on that 
day shall belong to the Merciful, and it shall 
be a hard day for the misbelievi^s. 

« * * 


Woe on that day for those who say that the 
judgment day is a lie! But none shall call it 
a lie except every, sinful transgressor, who 
when our signs are read to him, says. Old 
folks’ tales S’ 


When the heaven is cleft asunder; and when 
the stars are scattered, and when the seas gush 
together, and the tombs are turned upside down, 
the soul shall know what it has sent on or 

kept back.Nay, but ye call the judgment day 

a lie! but over you are guardian angels set 
who write down; they know what you do. 






48 THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 4 

And what shall make thee know what Is the l 
judgment day? A day when no soul shall con- 
trol aught for another, and the bidding on that | 
day belongs to God. ] 

* ♦ ♦ I 

When the sun is folded up, and the stars ! 
fall, and the mountains are moved, and the 
she-camels shall be neglected, and when the 
beasts shall be crowded together, and the seas 
shall surge up, and when souls shall be paired 
with bodies; and when the child buried alive 
shall be asked for what sin it was thus slain; 
and when the pages shall be spread out, and 
the heavens shall be flayed and all hell set ' 
ablaze—the soul shall know what it has pro- : 
duced. 


THE PILGRIMAGE 

One of the important duties of a true Moslem 
is the pilgrimage to Mecca, which every true 
believer should make at least once in his life¬ 
time. It is this not an ordinary journey, sim¬ 
ply for the purpose of visiting the religious 
center of the Moslem world, but it is real hard¬ 
ship to' the great majority of the Hadj pil¬ 
grims who come from the ends of the whole 
world at the prescribed time of the year, to 
gather at Mecca and take part in a series of 
imposing religious ceremonials. 

Not every visit to Mecca and the Holy Kaa- 
bah is termed a Hadj, and no pilgrim is en¬ 
titled to assume the title '‘El Hadj'* unless he 
made the pilgrimage according to the strict 





49 


THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

rules of the Koran, and arrived at Mecca dur¬ 
ing the four-day period of the 7th to the 10th 
day of the month Dhul — 'Hidjeh. Should he 
make the journey at any other time of the year, 
he earns a “meritorious entry to his credit,” 
but cannot call himself a Hadj. At the present 
time, a journey to Mecca is not the difficult 
undertaking which it was at the time of Mo¬ 
hammed, although there are tribes even now, 
whose members, in order to accomplish a Hadj 
to Mecca, must start out six and even nine 
months ahead of the time they desire to ar¬ 
rive in the Holy City. 

In the course of the centuries which have 
gone by since Mohammed lived, the routine of 
a Hadj pilgrim has been fixed so carefully, and 
so all-embracingly, that there is hardly an hour 
of the four days which he may call his own. 
Mohammed himself is often mentioned as hav¬ 
ing instituted the annual pilgrimage, but this 
is not true. The custom of visiting the Holy 
Kaabah antedates Mohammed by many cen¬ 
turies, and Mohammed had nothing to do with 
its continuance; it is a fact that he could not 
have abolished it, even if he had so desired. 
By making the pilgrimage a sacred duty to 
all true Moslems, he facilitated the acceptance 
of Islam by the Meccans, who earned consid¬ 
erable revenue from the many thousands of 
pilgrims journeying to the Holy Kaabah from 
all parts of North Africa and Western Asia, 
where the wandering tribes of the desert 
Arabs had spread in their migrations. 

When he arrives within a short disUnce of 
the Holy City, the Hadj pilgrim lays aside the 


50 THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 

clothing which he had worn during the journey, 
and dresses himself in two new seamless wrap¬ 
pers, called iram or ‘‘the garb of holiness.” 
One of these wrappers is fastened at the waist 
by a cord or belt, and the second one is thrown 
loosely over the first, hanging from the shoul¬ 
ders and leaving the head uncovered. The 
putting on of the “garb of holiness” places 
the Hadj pilgrim on a different plane from 
that of the other travelers who may be journey- ' 
ing his way, or meeting him in the desert. He 
is not permitted to either shave his head or 
any part of his body; he must not wash or 
anoint his hair; must not pare or trim his 
finger or toenails, and, finally, must not take 
off the iram, or exchange it for any other gar¬ 
ment, during the days of his visit to Mecca. 

Upon entering the city of Mecca, he first per¬ 
forms the religious ablutions, prescribed by 
the Koran; he then proceeds to the Sacred 
Mosque, where he kisses the “black stone.” 
After the ceremony of saluting the mysterious 
stone in the wall of the Kaabah, he makes the 
circuit of the whole Kaabah seven times; three 
times at a trot or fast walk, and four times 
at a slow pace. As soon as he has completed 
the seventh circuit he proceeds to the “Place 
of Abraham” {Makham Ibrahim), makes his 
ceremonious prostrations, then returns to the 
Kaabah and.kisses the Holy Black Stone once 
more. 

The Had] pilgrim now walks to a low hill 
outside the gates of Mecca, called Zafa, where 
formerly there stood an idol (Isaf) which was 


• THE ESSENCE OP THE KORAN 51 

greatly venerated, by the heathen Arabs before 
Mohammed’s time. On “Mount” Zafa the pil¬ 
grim makes his obeisance to the place where 
this idol formerly stood (although not one in 
ten thousand Hadj pilgrims has any clear idea 
of what he is venerating there!}, and then 
proceeds to the neighboring hill, Madwa, on 
the summit of which was once an image called 
Naila. Here he again bows down and wor¬ 
ships. He then returns to the summit of 
Mount Zafa, then back again to Marwa, al¬ 
ternating between the two summits until he 
has made the round trip seven times. The 
ritual prescribes that this trip from hill to 
hill shall be made “running”—but few of the 
Hadj pilgrims take this order literally. They 
usually pass from summit to summit at a fast 
walk, running a few steps down hill, so as to 
comply with the letter of the ritual. The tasks 
set for this, the first day of the Hadj, are 
strenuous enough to tire the pilgrims thor¬ 
oughly. 

On the following day (the 8th day of the 
month) all the pilgrims congregate in the 
valley of Minah, where they pass the night. 

On the morning of the ninth day of the 
month, as soon as morning prayers have been 
said, they run with great noise and tumult to 
the summit of Mount Arafat, where they re¬ 
main the whole day, until sunset. When the 
sun drops behind the Western horizon they 
come down from the hill and assemble at a 
place called Muzdalifeh, where they pass the 
night. 


52 THE ESSENCE OF THE KORAN 

On t6e following morning, the pilgrims again 
assemble in the valley of Minah, where they 
go through the ceremony of throwing stones 
at three high pillars standing there. This 
ritual is observed in commemoration of Abra¬ 
ham, who, it is said, met the devil at this 
spot and succeeded in driving him away with 
stones thrown at him. 

After the stone throwing ceremony the pil¬ 
grims make their sacrifices—some animal 
which is killed upon a large flat stone-altar, 
in commemoration of the incompleted sacrifice 
of Ishmael by his father Abraham. (The Bible 
tells of this sacrifice, but gives Isaac as the 
intended victim). 

After the sacrifice the pilgrim is permitted to 
divest himself of the iram, dress in his usual 
clothes, shave and pare his nails, etc. It is 
advisable, although not compulsory, that the 
pilgrims remain three more days at Mecca— 
the days of “drying up,” i. e., till the blood 
of the sacrifices has dried. During this time 
the Kaabah should be visited again and the 
seven circuits of the Mosque repeated. After 
performing this ceremony, the pilgrim is a 
full-fledged Hadj —one who has niade the great 
pilgrimage to Mecca according to all the laws 
of the Koran. Nearly every pilgrim to Mecca 
visits the tomb of the prophet Mohammed 
at Medinah, and In late years the visit to the 
tomb has become an obligatory part of the 
Hadj pilgrimage. 


TEN CENT POCKET SERIES 


53 


Other Titles in Pocket Series 


Drama 

Si6 The Master Buildtr* 
Ibsen. 

90 The Mikado. 

W. S. Gilbert. 

816 Prometheus BouncL 
A 

808 She Stoops to Conquer. 

Oliver Goldsmith. 

184 The Misanthrope. 
Moliere. 

©9 Tartuffe. Moliere. 

SI Pelleas and Melisande. 
Maeterlinck. 

16 Ghosts. Henrik Ibsen. 
80 Pillars of Society. 
Ibsen. 

46 Salome. Oscar Wilde. 
84 Importance of Being 
Earnest. O. Wilde. 

8 Lady Windermere’s 
Fan. O. Wilde. 

181 Redemption. Tolstoi. 
226 The Anti-Semites. 
Schnitzler. 

Shakespeare’s Plays 

240 The Tempest. 

241 Merry Wives of Wind* 
sor. 

242 As You Like It. 

243 Twelfth Night. 

244 Much Ado About 
Nothing, 

245 Measure for Measure. 

246 Hamlet. 

247 Macbeth. 

248 King Henry V. 

251 Midsummer Night’S 

Dream. 


252 Othello, the Moor of 
Venice. 

253 King Henry VIH. 

254 Taming of the Shrew* 
265 King Lear. 

256 Venus and Adonit. 

257 King Henry IV. 

Part I. 

258 King Henry IV. 

Part H. 

249 Julius Caesar. 

250 Romeo and Julltt* 

269 King Henry VL 

Part I. 

260 King Henry VL 
Part II. 

261 King Henry VI. 

Part in. 

262 Comedy of Errors* 

263 King John. 

264 King Richard HL 

265 King Richard H. 

267 Pericles. 

268 Merchant of Venice* 

Fiction 

836 Mark of the Beast. 
Kipling. 

807 A Tillyloss ScandaL 
Barrie. 

857 City of Dreadful Ni^ifi. 
Kipling. 

363 Miggles, etc. 

Bret Harte. 

833 Mulvaney Storiee. 
Kipling. 

188 Adventures of BarOD 
Munchausen. 

862 Short Stories. 

William Morria 
832 The Man Who Was and 
Other Stories. Kipling; 





64 TEN CENT POCKET SERIES 


280 The Happy Prince and 
Other Tales. Wilde. 

145 In the Time of the Ter¬ 
ror. Balzac. 

182 Daisy Miller. 

Henry James. 

162 The Murders in the Rue 
Morgue and Other Tales. 
E. A. Poe. 

846 Clarimonde. Gautier, 
292 Mademoiselle Fifi. 

De Maupassant. 

199 The Tallow BalL 
De Maupassant. 

6 De Maupassant’s 
Stories. 

15 Balzac’s Stories. 

344 Don Juan and Other 
Stories. Balzac. 

318 Christ in Flanders and 
Other Stories. Balzac. 
230 The Fleece of Gold. 

Theophile Gautier. 

178 One of Cleopatra’s 
Nights. Gautier. 

314 Short Stories. Daudet. 
68 Boccaccio’s Stories. 

46 Tolstoi’s Short Stories. 
12 Poe’s Tales of Mystery. 
290 The Gold Bug. 

Edgar Allan Poe. 

146 Great Ghost Stories. 

21 Carmen. Merimee. 

23 Great Stories of the 

Sea. 

819 Comtesse de Saint- 
Gerane. Dumas. 

38 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. 
Hyde. Stevenson. 

279 Will o’ the Mill; Mark- 
heim. Stevenson. 

811 A Lodging for the 
Night. Stevenson. 

27 Last Days of a Con¬ 
demned Man. Hugo. 


151 Man Who Would 
King. Kipling. 

148 Strength of the 
Strong. London. 

41 Christmas CaroL 
Dickens. 

67 Rip Van Winkle. 

Irving. 

100 Red Laugh. Andreyev. 
105 Seven That Were 
Hanged. Andreyev. 

102 Sherlock Holmes 
Tales. 0. Doyle. 

161 Country of the Blind. 
H. G. Wells. 

85 Attack on the MilL 
Zola. 

156 Andersen’s Fairy Tales. 
158 Alice in Wonderland. 
37 Dream of John BalL 
William Morris. 

40 House and the Brain. 

Bulwer Lytton. 

72 Color of Life. E. Hal- 
deman-Julius. 

198 Majesty of Justice. 

Anatole France. 

215 The Miraculous Re¬ 
venge. Shaw. 

24 The Kiss and Other 
Stories. Chekhov. 

286 Euphorian in Texas. 
Geo. Moore. 

219 The Human Tragedy. 

Anatole France. 

196 The Marquise. George 
Sand. 

239 Twenty-Six Men and a 
Girl. Gorki. 

29 Dreams. Oliver 
Schreiner. 

232 The Three Strangers. 

Thos. Hardy. 

277 The Man Without a 
Country. E. E. Hale. 



TEN CENT POCKET SERIES 55 


History, Biography 

805 Machiavelli. ‘ Ma¬ 
caulay. 

840 Life of Jesus. Ernest 
Renan. 

183 Life of Jack London. 

269 Contemporary Por¬ 
traits. Vol. 1. Frank 

' Harris. 

270 Contemporary Por¬ 
traits. Vol. 2. Frank 
Harris. 

271 Contemporary Por¬ 
traits. Vol. 3. Frank 
Harris. 

272 Contemporary Por¬ 
traits. Vol. 4. Frank 
Harris. 

828 Joseph Addison and 
His Times. Finger. 

812 Life and Works of 
Laurence. Sterne. 

Gunn. ' 

,824 Life of Lincoln. 

Bowers. 

823 The Life of Joan of 
Arc. 

839 Thoreau—the Man 
Who Escaped From 
the Herd. Finger. 

126 History of Rome. A. 
F. Giles. 

128 Julius Caesar; Who He 
Was. 

185 History of Printing. 

149 Historic Crimes and 
Criminals. Finger. 

175 Science of History. 
Froude. 

104 Battle of Waterloo. 
Victor Hugo. 

62 Voltaire. Victor Hugo. 

126 War Speeches of 

Woodrow Wilson. 


22 Tolstoy; His Life and 
Works. 

142 Bismarck and the 
German Empire. 

286 When the Puritans 
Were in Power. 

343 Life of Columbus. 

66 Crimes of the Borgias. 
Dumas. 

287 Whistler; The Man 
and His Work. 

51 Bruno; His Life and 
Martyrdom. 

147 Cromwell and His 
Times. 

236 State and Heart Af¬ 
fairs of Henry VIH. 

50 Paine’s Common 
Sense. 

88 Vindication of Paine. 
Ingersoll. 

33 Brann; Smasher of 
Shams. 

163 Sex Life in Greece 
and Rome. 

214 Speeches of Lincoln. 

276 Speeches and Letters 
of Geo. Washington. 

144 Was Poe Immoral? 
Whitman. 

223 Essay on Swinbuine. 

227 Keats. The Man and 
His Work. 

150 Lost Civilizations. 
Finger. 

170 Constantine and .the 
Beginnings of Christi¬ 
anity. 

201 Satan and the Saints. 

67 Church History. H. M. 
Tichenor. 

169 Voices From the Past. 

266 Life of Shakespeare 
and Analysis of His 
Plays. 



56 TEN CENT POCKET SERIES 


128 Life of Madame Du 
Barry. 

139 Life of Dante. 

69 Life of Mary, Queen 
of Scots. Dumas. 

5 Life of Samuel John¬ 
son. Macaulay. 

174 Trial of William Penn. 

Humor 

291 Jumping Frog and 
Other Humoroua Tales. 
Mark Twain. 

18 Idle Thoughts of an 
Idle Fellow. Jerome. 
166 English as She Is 
Spoke. Mkrk Twain. 
231 Eight Humorous 

Sketches. Mark Twain, 
205 Artemus Ward. His 
Book. 

187 Whistler’s Humor, 

216 Wit of Heinrich 
Heine. Geo. Eliot. 

20 Let’s Laugh. Nasby, 

Literature 

S49 Apology for Idlers, 

etc. R. L. Stevenson. 
858 Virginibus Puerlsque, 

R. L. Stevenson. 

109 Dante, and Other 
Waning Classics, VoL 

1. Mordell. 

110 Dante, and Other 
Waning Classics. VoL 

2. Mordell. 

S55 Aucassin and Nicoi 
lete. Lang. 

278 Friendship and Other 
Essaya Thoreau. 

195 Thoughts on Nature. 
Thoreau. 

220 England in Shake¬ 
speare’s Time. Finger. 


194 Lord Chesterfield's 
Letters. 

63 A Defense of Poetry. 
Shelley. 

97 Love Letters of King 
Henry VIII. 

8 Eighteen Essays. 
Voltaire. 

28 Toleration. Voltaire. 
89 Love Letters of Men 
and Women of Genius. 
186 How I Wrote “The 
Raven.” Poe. 

87 Love, an Essay. Mon¬ 
taigne. 

48 Bacon’s Essays. 

60 Emerson’s Essays. 

84 Love Letters of a 

Portuguese Nun. 

26 On Going to Church. 

O. B. Shaw. 

186 Socialism for Mil¬ 
lionaires. G. B. Shaw. 

61 Tolstoi’s Essaya 

176 Four Essays. Have- 
lock Ellis. 

160 Lecture on Shake¬ 
speare. IngersolL 
76 Choice of Books. 
Carlyle. 

288 Essays on Chesterfield 
and Rabelais. Sainte- 
Beuve. 

76 The Prince of Peace.' 
W. J. Bryan 

86 On Reading. Brandes. 
95 Confessions of An 
Opium Eater. 

213 Lecture on Lincoln. 
Ingersoll. 

177 Subjection of Women. 
J. S. Mill. 

17 On Walking. ’Thoreati. 
70 Chas Lamb’s Essaya 
235 Essays. Gilbert K. 
Chesterton. 



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7 A Liberal Education. 
Thos. Huxley. 

238 Thoughts on Litera¬ 
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226 Condescension in For¬ 
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221 Women, and Other 
Essays. Maeterlinck. 

10 Shelley. Francis 
Thompson. 

289 Pepys’ Diary. 

299 Prose Nature Notes. 
Whitman. 

816 Pen, Pencil and 
Poison. Wilde. 

813 The Decay of Lying. 
Oscar Wilde. 

86 Soul of Man Under 
Socialism, Wilde. 

893 Francois Villon; Stu¬ 
dent, Poet and House¬ 
breaker. Stevenson. 

1 

! Maxims and Epigrams 

^ 77 What Great Men Have 

Said About Women, 
j 804 What Great Women 
! Have Said About Men. 

179 Gems From Emerson. 

810 The Wisdom of 
Thackeray. 

103 Wit and Wisdom of 
I Charles Lamb, 

i 66 Wisdom of IngersoU. 
i 106 Aphorisms. George 
Sand. 

168 Epigrams. Oscar Wilde. 

69 Epigrams of Wit and 
Wisdom. 

j 85 Maxims. Rochefou- 
j cauld. 

J 164 Epigrams of Ibsen. 

1^7 Witticisms and Re¬ 

flections. De Sevigne. 


180 Epigrams of Geo. 
Bernard Shaw. 

155 Maxims. Napoleon. 

181 Epigrams. Thoreau. 
228 Aphorisms. Huxley. 

113 Proverbs of England. 
348 Proverbs of Scotland. 

114 Proverbs of France. 

115 Proverbs of Japan. 

116 Proverbs of China. 

117 Proverbs of Italy. 

118 Proverbs of Russia. 

119 Proverbs of Ireland. 

120 Proverbs of Spain. 

121 Proverbs of Arabia. 

380 Proverbs of Yugo¬ 
slavia. 

Philosophy, Religion 

338 Guide to Emerson. 

218 Essence of the Tal¬ 
mud. 

11 Guide to Nietzsche. 
Hamblen. 

159 A Guide to Plato. 
Durant. 

322 The Buddhist Philos¬ 
ophy of Life. 

347 A Guide to Stoicism. 

St. George Stock. 

124 Theory of Reincarna¬ 
tion Explained, 

157 Plato’s Republic. 

62 Schopenhauer’s 
Essays, 

94 Trial and Death of 
Socrstcs 

65 Meditations of Marcus 
Aurelius. 

64 Rudolph Eucken; His 
Life and Philosophy. 

4 Age of Reason. 

Thomas Paine. 

65 Herbert Spencer; His 

Life and Works. 






58 


TEN CENT POCKET SERIES 


44 Aesop’a Fables. 

165 Discovery of the Fu¬ 
ture. H. G. Wells. 

96 Dialogues of Plato. 

S25 Essence of Buddhism. 
103 Pocket Theology. 
Voltaire. 

132 Foundations of Re¬ 
ligion. 

138 Studies in Pessimism. 

• Schopenhauer. 

211 Idea of God in Nature. 
John Stuart Mill. 

212 Life and Character, 
Goethe. 

200 Ignorant Philosopher. 
Voltaire. 

101 Thoughts of Pascal. 
210 The Stoic Philosophy. 

Prof. G. Murray. 

224 God; Known and Un¬ 
known. Butler. 

19 Nietzsche; Who He 
Was and What He 
Stood For. 

204 Sun Worship and 

Later Beliefs. Tichenor. 
207 Olympian Gods. H. 

M. Tichenor. 

184 Primitive Beliefs. 

163 Chinese Philosophy 
of Life. 

80 What Life Means to 
Me. London. 

Poetry 

801 Sailor Chanties and 
Cowboy Songs. 

840 Old English Ballads. 
296 Lyric Love. Browning. 
851 Memories of Lincoln. 
Whitman,' 



298 Today’s Poetry. 
Anthology. 

365 Odes of Horace. 

Vol. I. 

366 Odes of Horace. 

Vol. H. 

152 The Kasidah. 

Sir Richard F, Burton. 

283 Courtship of Miles 
Standish. Longfellow. . 

282 The Rime of the Ancient^ 
Mariner. Coleridge. yi 

317 L’Allegro and Other 
Poems. Milton. 

297 Poems. Robert Southey.! 

329 Dante’s Inferno. f 

Vol. 1. 

330 Dante’s Inferno. ^ 

Vol. II. > 

306 A Shropshire Lad. ' 
Housman. 'i 

284 Poems of Robert Bum».| 

1 Rubaiyat of Omar 
Khayyam. 

73 Walt Whitman’s poems. 

2 Wilde’s Ballad of Read 
ing Jail. 

3 2 ' Poe’s Poems. 

164 Michael Angelo’s ■ 

Sonnets. ■ 

.71 Poems of Evolution. 

146 Snow-Bound, Pied 
Piper. 

9 Great English Poems. 

79 Enoch Arden. 

Tennyson. 

68 Shakespeare’s Sonneta 
281 Lays of Ancient Rome. 
Macaulay. 

173 Vision of Sir LaunfaL 
Lowell. 

222 The Vampire and Other 
Poems. Kipling. • 

237 Prose Poems. 

Baudelaire. 


,7 



TEN CENT POCKET SERIES 


59 


Science 

408 Introduction to Einstein 
and Relativity. 
Hudgings. 

409 Great Men of Science. 
47 Animals of Ancient 

Seas. Fenton. 

274 Animals of Ancient 
Lands. Fenton. 

827 The Ice Age. 

Chas. J. Finger. 

821 A History of Evolution. 
Fenton. 

217 The Puzzle of Person¬ 
ality; a Study in 
Psycho-Analysis. 
Fielding. 

190 Psycho-Analysis—^The 
Key to Human Be¬ 
havior. Fielding. 

140 Biology and Spiritual 
Philosophy. 

276 The Building of the 
Earth. Fenton. 

49 Three Lectures on Evo¬ 
lution. Haeckel. 

42 The Origin of the 
Human Race. 

288 Reflections on Modern 
Science. Huxley. 

202 Survival of the Fittest. 
Tichenor. 

191 Evolution vs. Religion. 
Balmforth. 

133 Electricity Explained. 

92 Hypnotism Made Plain. 
63 Insects and Men; In¬ 
stinct and Reason. 

189 Eugenics. Havelock 
Ellis. 


Series of Debates 

364 The Art of Controversy. 

Schopenhauer.* 

130 Controversy on Chris¬ 
tianity. Ingersoll and 
Gladstone. 

43 Marriage and Divorce. 
Horace Greeley and 
Robert Owen. 

208 Debate on Birth Con¬ 
trol. Mrs. Sanger and 
Winter Russell. 

129 Rome or Reason. In¬ 
gersoll and Manning. 
122 Spiritualism. Conan 
Doyle and McCabe. 

171 Has Life Any Meaning? 
Frank Harris and Percy 
Ward. 

206 Capitalism vs. Social¬ 
ism. Seligman and 
Nearing. 

234 McNeal-Sinclair Debat* 
on Socialism. 

Miscellaneous 

273 The Social Contract. 
Rousseau. 

342 Hints on News Report¬ 
ing. 

326 Hints on Writing Short 
Stories. Finger. 

192 Book of Synonyms. 

25 Rhyming Dictionary. 

78 How to Be an Orator. 
82 Common Faults in 
Writing English. 






60 


TEN CENT POCKET SERIES 


127 What Expectant 

Mothers . Should Enow. 
81 Care of the Baby. 

136 Chil4 Training. 

137 Home Nursing. 

14 What Every Girl Should 
Know. Mrs. Sanger. 

91 Manhood: Facts of Life 
Presented to Men. 

83 Marriage; Past, Present 
and Future. Besant. 

74 On Threshold of Sex. 


98 How to Love. 

172 Evolution of Love. 
Ellen Key. 

203 Rights of Women. 

Havelock Ellis. 

209 Aspects of Birth Con¬ 
trol. Medical, Moral, 
Sociological. 

93 How to Live 100 Yeanu 
167 Plutarch’s Rule* of 
Health. 

320 The Prince. 

MachiaveBi. 









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